Shoegaze, psychedelic folk and southern gothic rock are among the many labels given to Thayer Sarrano’s music. When I listen to Sarrano’s latest album Shaky, one phrase comes to mind: hauntingly beautiful. With an array of mystical sounds and an unshakable voice, Thayer Sarrano carves out her unique spot in the music world with her latest LP Shaky.

Born and raised in Georgia, Thayer Sarrano’s southern side subtly shows itself in Shaky. In the song “Crease,” a distinct southern gothic rock sound comes out through both her vocals and instrumentation. There’s a little twang in Sarrano’s voice not noticeable in most of the other tracks off the album. “Crease” opens with what sounds like a Southern-style steel guitar which continues throughout the song. The heavy drums and other ambient sounds also make this track not just an example of her southern influence, but specifically a southern gothic one.

Sarrano’s use of eerie sounds paired with noisy guitars and partially distorted vocals also makes much of her album Shaky a prime example of what is known as shoegazing or shoegaze. “Aim” begins with a heavy electric guitar creating the “wall of sound” characteristic of shoegaze artists. Sarrano then layers her voice on top of the guitar. The best part of the song is Sarrano’s lead into the chorus: with each repetition of “higher,” her voice goes higher as she takes her listeners up to a psychedelic dream land, where ethereal “ooh’s and ah’s” repeat. As the song progresses, drums and other random instruments fill out the sound and add a certain level of spookiness to the song, making you feel slightly uncomfortable in the best way possible.

Sarrano’s album may be titled Shaky, but her voice is utterly unshakable. Some songs like “Aim” downplay her voice, while others serve to highlight Sarrano’s ethereal vocals. “Glimpses” spotlights her voice by having less of a “wall of sound.” In some parts of the song, her voice stands alone with very soft synth in the background. Through hearing her voice loud and clear, I realize that her voice hits low notes in a very sultry manner, just like Lana Del Rey. The more the tracks linger at her voice, the more they ooze with sensuality. Sarrano’s voice is probably my favorite part of the album.

Thayer Sarrano’s sublime voice paired with her eclectic instrumentation move my soul in uncanny ways. Shaky has a mysteriously dark feel, making it not the best album for a party. Instead, if you desire an album to take you away to an entirely new world, then look no further. Thayer Sarrano’s Shaky whisks its listeners away to the land of honest, macabre dreamscapes. You will never want to leave. —Krisann Janowitz